An important role in the structure of the flower of the plant is played by the receptacle, whose functions are to create a reliable support for other parts of the flower.
The general structure of the flower
The flower is a modified shoot, limited in growth and performing the functions of the formation of stamens and the formation of seeds and fruits.
The flower is located on the main or lateral stem, part of the stem under it is called the peduncle. Then it goes into the axis, which is called the receptacle. It contains all other parts of the flower: sepals, petals, pistils and stamens, inside of which are pollen bags and ovules.
The sepals and petals form a perianth, inside of which there are stamens and pistils. Most plants have pistils and stamens. Such plants are called bisexual. But there are plants with same-sex flowers. Also, male and female flowers can be located both on the same plant, and on different.
The concept of "receptacle"
Now we pass directly to the topic of publication and give a definition of the concept. The receptacle is the expanded upper part of the peduncle. The rest depart from this part, as mentioned above. It has a stem origin, unlike other parts.
In other words, the receptacle is the axial part that takes part in the formation of flowers.
The flower is the top of the stem, on which other elements of leaf origin develop. The internodes between these elements are usually minimized. Therefore, this axis is very short.
Some say that the receptacle is the "flower bottom," or they call it the "torus." It is slightly wider than the peduncle and can take a different shape: elongated, convex, flat, concave, conical, goblet.
Features of the receptacle of different plants
The shape of the axial portion may be complicated. Due to the growth of intermediate tissues that are below the apex, outgrowth outgrowths are formed. They can be of various shapes and have the interesting name "glands." They can grow together with each other, and also form closed outgrowths, similar to rings. In this case, they are called disks.
Also in the future, the goblet receptacle may become more complicated, fusing with the walls of the ovary, to which it is closely adjacent. In this case, there will be no ovary in the flower itself; it is located below and forms one with the axial part. It also seems that the remaining elements of the flower are attached to the upper part of the ovary, in this case called the lower. Examples of plants with this type of arrangement of elements are cucumber, sunflower and apple tree. Their flowers fall from the fruits, which are formed from the ovary.
It was said above that the internodes of the axis are minimal, but sometimes they can develop quite strongly. In some plants of the clove family (for example, in dawn), an internode has developed between the corolla and the calyx. In some of the caper family, between pestles and stamens. This family also develops androphore, an internode of the corolla petals and stamens.
Some plants have a carpophore - an elongated receptacle, during the ripening period of the fruit, lifting it above the perianth.
Receptacle Chamomile
Chamomile is one of the most useful plants. There are many types of chamomile, but the most famous is chamomile, or chamomile.
Some of its morphological features help to distinguish this species from others. One of these features is the axial part. Receptacle daisies are hollow, hollow inside.
As soon as flowering begins, it has a hemispherical shape, and at the end of flowering and when the fruits appear, it changes to elongated and narrowly conical.
Thus, the receptacle is the part without which the formation of a flower and, in the future, the fetus is impossible.